Health & Living

On this monthly episode of Ask A Doctor, consultant child psychiatrist Dr Anita Codati addresses all your concerns about your child’s behaviour, ranging from daily home routines to social interactions and school-related issues. Image credit: Shutterstock See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A highly pathogenic strain of avian flu (H5N1) is spreading across the world, infecting not just wild and farmed birds, but increasingly, mammals like cattle and seals as well. With cases of avian flu also detected among humans in countries like the United States all the way to Cambodia, and one confirmed human death from the H5N2 strain, does this mean we should be on high alert for avian flu out...

Men’s mental health struggles often go unnoticed, due to societal and cultural norms about masculinity and male behaviours. On Counsellor’s Corner, we draw back the curtains on men’s mental health issues, and get licensed counsellor Justin Yap to answer all your questions. Image credit: Shutterstock See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The PsychEncode Consortium was started back in 2015 in the United States because scientists wanted to pool together their resources and expertise to study the genetics of neuropsychiatric diseases like schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, Alzheimer’s disease, and more, especially in the earlier stages of these conditions. Neurogeneticist Dr Azlina Ahmad Annuar joins us to discuss why these projects ma...

Whether you’re a man or a woman has a significant impact on your health and well-being, due to both biological and gender-related differences. In fact, many areas of women’s health tend to be under-researched and lack support, which has knock-on implications not just on individuals but communities and populations as well. In a world where we are seeing inequality and inequity deepen as we grapple...

Tobacco companies have had decades of experience marketing their products to appeal to a wider consumer base, including the youths, and these strategies have seemed to only grow more aggressive as companies pivot to selling vapes and e-cigarettes. In conjunction with World No Tobacco Day (commemorated yearly on 31st May) and this year’s theme, we discuss how we can protect our youths from tobacco...

Pneumococcal disease remains a pressing public health issue in Malaysia, especially among very young children and older adults. What progress have we seen in reducing the burden of pneumococcal disease with the introduction of the vaccine in the National Immunisation Programme in 2020, and what are the emerging threats that could arise to increase the burden? Consultant paediatrician Prof Datuk Dr...

Motherhood has been a series of curveballs for Desiree Kaur, and raising an autistic child is just one of many challenges she juggles daily. On this episode of Because Feelings Matter , Desiree opens up about the emotions that come with the journey of raising a neurodivergent child, and how she’s learned to acknowledge the “not OK” days, even as she tries to plan everything else to a ‘T’. Desiree...

When you search for “heart scans” on Google, you’re spoilt for choice with numerous private health centres advertising the availability of their heart screening packages. But options aside, what do you need to know about preventive heart scans before you sign up for one? Dr Yee Kok Meng, Consultant Cardiologist from Pantai Hospital Kuala Lumpur, joins us to ensure that you’re armed with all the in...

When we hear the word “dementia”, what many of us picture is often the last stages of the condition where the individual has lost much of their cognitive ability and memory. But that’s only a small picture of what dementia really is. What are the lived realities of people living with milder forms of dementia and how can we support their ability to still be independent? On this episode of NCD Chron...

Breast cancer can be screened through a mammogram while cervical cancer has HPV tests, but what about ovarian cancer? While ovarian cancer is rare, it is often diagnosed in the late stages because of the challenges with picking it up early. We speak to specialist in obstetrics and gynaecology Dr Yogeeta Gunasagran to find out whether screening and treatment for ovarian cancer has improved, and we...

Dyslexia is a learning difficulty affecting reading and writing skills. If you have dyslexia, you may not read these sentences in the same way that a typical person would. Some letters might be missing, appear in reverse, or even seem to move around on the screen. But having dyslexia doesn’t mean you can’t read, learn, work or even thrive, with the right support and acceptance within your environm...

It is said that it “takes a village to raise a child”, but mothers living in urban, low-income communities, may lack such a “village” or support system, as well as access to services and resources for physical, mental and social support. Mothers are especially vulnerable in the first 1,000 days of a child’s life, which spans from pregnancy to the time a child turns two. How do socioeconomic and he...

In the 1980s, a diagnosis of HIV was almost like a death sentence, but today with effective and accessible treatment, it no longer is. What this means is that we are seeing an increase in the population of older adults who are living with HIV. In fact, UNAIDS estimates that the number of people aged 50 years or older with HIV infection globally has increased from 5.4 million in 2015 to 8.1 million...

Dr George Lee, Consultant Urologist; Prof Dr Saw Aik, Programme Director, Silent Mentor Description: Medical students rely on cadavers during their years in medical school to learn the fundamentals of human anatomy but how often do they know the person behind the body? The Silent Mentor programme at Universiti Malaya aims to change that through its unique body donation programme. Here to tell us m...

Medicine - the most coveted profession, especially in Asian cultures, where the social stature and financial rewards of being a doctor are, arguably, the height of parents’ aspirations for their children. Yet, it is also a profession fraught with uncertainties, unrealistic expectations, and enormous sacrifices. On Heart of Medicine, consultant cardiologist Dr Kannan Pasamanickam is joined by fello...

Older adults were often perceived as being less tech-savvy, but with the ubiquity of smartphones these days, it seems like some of them even surpass us in how easy they navigate the online world. But is that the case across Malaysia? How does building digital literacy help create a sense of community as well as independence among seniors? We speak to Dr Tan Yun Yi, founder of Bengkel Teknologi Sen...

The eyes are the window to the soul but what happens when we can’t see that well? On this monthly episode of Ask A Doctor, we speak to consultant ophthalmologist and vitreoretinal surgeon Dr Kenneth Fong about maintaining good vision and healthy eyes from childhood to your golden years. Image Credit: Shutterstock See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Nurses are the backbone of healthcare systems all around the world, and yet they are often one of the most underappreciated healthcare workers. In conjunction with International Nurses Day - observed annually on 12th May - on this episode of Humans of Healthcare, we’ll find out what it takes to become a nurse, both professionally and personally, from Jeovelyn Samoya, a community outreach nurse cur...

A urinary tract infection is one of the most common infections to affect humans; in fact, if you’re a woman, you’re even more likely to have a UTI at some point in your life. But despite how common and treatable it is, it can also be very uncomfortable and painful to deal with. On this episode of Doctor in the House, we put consultant urologist Dr George Lee in the hot seat to answer all our quest...

Our planet is sick - and we don’t just mean melting glaciers and rising ocean levels too distant from our daily realities. In Malaysia, we see the effect of climate changes and the inexorable destruction of Earth every day, and more startlingly, we are experiencing the health effects of our planet’s problems. Tan Sri Prof Dr Jemilah Mahmood, Executive Director of the Sunway Centre for Planetary He...

Children with special needs are often left behind in education, due to societal stigma, as well as lack of resources and capacity in our community. How is the Kiwanis Malaysia Academy hoping to close this gap? Dato’ Fatimah Saad, Chairman, Kiwanis Malaysia Academy, joins us to share more about their initiatives in ensuring that inclusive education is accessible to all children, to enable them to t...

Consultant orthopaedic surgeon Dr Rajesh Singh checks in for his regular show to discuss tendons - their structure, functions and dysfunctions. We explore a variety of tendon injuries, ranging from trigger finger to plantar fasciitis, and try to understand the basis for treating these problems. Image Credit: 123rf See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Recently, AstraZeneca allegedly confirmed, for the first time in a court document, that its COVID-19 vaccine can lead to a rare side effect called thrombosis with thrombocytopenia syndrome (TTS). What is TTS, and did many people develop this side effect after receiving the AZ vaccine during the pandemic? Consultant haematologist Dr Alan Teh provides an explainer on the issue.  Watch a short e...

According to news reports, for the first time in a court document, AstraZeneca has allegedly confirmed that its Covid-19 vaccine can lead to a rare side effect called thrombosis with thrombocytopenia syndrome (TTS). We speak to public health physician Dr Farhan Rusli about the impact that this news would have on immunisation programmes moving forward, and what we can learn about risk communication...